The Effect of Service Employee Empathy on Customer Satisfaction Among Clients of African Banking Corporation Bank Limited, Kenya

Abstract

This study examined the role of service employee empathy on customer satisfaction among clients of Tier Three banks in Kenya, with a focus on African Banking Corporation Limited. The study was anchored on the SERVQUAL model, Cognitive Dissonance Theory, and Social Exchange Theory. An explanatory research design was adopted, and primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered by the researcher. Descriptive statistical tools such as mean, median, and variance were used to analyze measures of central tendency, variability, and distribution. Pearson's Product Moment Correlation was employed to assess the strength and direction of the relationship between employee empathy and customer satisfaction, while simple linear regression was used to test the direct effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable. Findings were presented in tabular form. The results revealed that service employee empathy accounted for customer satisfaction. The study concluded that service employee empathy encompassing employee courtesy, service knowledge, and customer trust has a significant positive influence on customer satisfaction in Tier Three banks in Kenya.